NoteTrainer PRO

In order to be a good musician you need not only to master playing a certain instrument, but have a good knowledge base, which is useful for writing and reading music. Regardless of instruments, each note can be represented on a score. In this regard, NoteTrainer PRO wants to help you learn to read them, but also practice identifying them on a keyboard.

A neat advantage is that you don't need to install it on your computer. This means that registries remain intact, with minimum impact on system resources. You can also take it with you on a USB Flash drive to use on any other computer.

The main window is pretty well organized, with an interactive toolbar presenting all functions under intuitive icons, as well as a keyboard you need to use. The rest of the space is a score with randomly generated bits of songs so you can test out your skill.

You can first trigger a preview so you get an idea of what notes you need to hit. Buttons highlight on the keyboard as the song plays, which helps you remember notes. When you're ready, you can start a test in which you need to press corresponding keys, with the song not advancing until the correct one is pressed.

A note of advice, you might want to access the settings menu in order to disable sounds made upon mistakes so you get a better idea of the pitch you need to stick to, otherwise only the correct sound produces the right feedback.

Tempo can be adjusted for playback, as well as the possibility to select song portions to have them played individually. You can use your actual keyboard as input, but you need to experiment a little, with no documentation or key assignment list.

Professionalism is achieved only through solid documentation and a lot of practice, and NoteTrainer PRO wants to help you become a better musician in an interactive manner. Accommodation is not an issue thanks to the appealing interface, with the overall design letting anyone learn a thing or two, regardless of experience.